The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba: An Architectural Allegory

Ever since we’d seen pictures of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, aka the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, we’d known that it would be at the top of our “must see” list when we returned to Spain. Quite simply, there’s no other building like it in the world and if we had to describe it in less than ten words we’d say, “a sixteenth-century cathedral inside an eighth-century mosque.” But that doesn’t even begin to convey the ten-plus wow factor of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, without a doubt the most stunning religious place we’ve ever seen. Nor does it suggest the promising symbolism of two major religions, Islam and Christianity, coexisting in one shared space.

Córdoba’s history stretches back for more than two thousand years to its founding in the second-century, BCE and the land upon which the Mosque-Cathedral was built has long been sacred to many religions. Originally there was a Roman temple dedicated to Janus, the two-faced god looking at both past and future. When the Visigoths invaded Córdoba in the sixth century, they converted the temple to a cathedral dedicated to the gruesomely tortured martyr, St. Vincent of Saragossa. Next came the Moor’s invasion at the beginning of the eighth-century and, for a time, the worship space was divided between Muslims and Christians before the cathedral was demolished to build the Great Mosque of Córdoba at the end of the century.

The construction of the Great Mosque of Córdoba began in 784 CE and lasted for over two centuries resulting in what UNESCO refers to as “the most emblematic monument of Islamic religious architecture.” Thousands of artisans and laborers were employed. Only the finest materials were used: stone and marble quarried from the mountains of nearby Sierra Morena and columns of granite, jasper, marble and onyx recycled from the original temple and other Roman ruins around the Iberian peninsula. Upon the columns were the double arches which allowed for support of the higher vaulted ceiling. The lower horseshoe-shaped arches were made of red brick alternating with white stone that continually draws your eye. The décor was fashioned from ivory, gold, silver, copper, brass and mahogany and intricate mosaics from azulejos (glazed, colored tiles) were designed. Interestingly, the mihrab or prayer niche, a piece of ornate artwork in dazzling colors that stands out among all the other splendidness, faces south rather than the traditional placement towards Mecca. A remarkable and unique creation, the Great Mosque of Córdoba held a central place of importance among the Islamic community and was a major Muslim pilgrimage site.

Following the Christian invasion of Córdoba in 1236, the mosque was preserved as a very visible trophy of Castillian Spain’s victory over a former Islamic land. Besides the symbolism, the Reconquista and kingdom building was a spendy proposition and Spain, not wanting to divert its money from conquest to building places of worship, spent some of its energies converting mosques into churches. The former Great Mosque of Córdoba was renamed the Church of the Virgin of the Assumption, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and consecrated with the sprinkling of holy water which allowed the transformation of religion from Islam to Christianity. Over the years a couple of chapels were constructed to the side of the vast space and the four-story minaret, from which calls to prayer were previously heard, became a tower for tolling bells summoning faithful. For nearly three centuries, no major alterations were made because the church was a little occupied with imposing the one, true religion upon the land. In between converting Muslims and Jews to the correct religion or expelling the lucky ones altogether from the realm, they occupied themselves with the horror called the Spanish Inquisition.

It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that the reigning monarch, King Charles V (also confusingly known as King Carlos I) turned his attention to the former mosque in response to a proposal by the church to build a cathedral within the center. Overruling the objections of the people, the King, completely ignorant of the building’s unique beauty because he’d never visited Cordoba, backed the church’s request. The heart of the Great Mosque of Córdoba was demolished and over the next couple of hundred years (1523–1766) the cathedral was built in a variety of styles ranging from late Renaissance, Gothic, and Spanish Baroque. Like many cathedrals, it’s breathtaking with its ornately carved mahogany altar and the plunder from the New World gilding surfaces in silver and gold. A variety of semi-precious stones are used throughout the area and oil paintings of notable events and personages are abundant. It is however, bizarrely at odds with the original architecture of what was once Islam’s crown jewel.

There is one more strange and short chapter in the story of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. In 2006, the diocese of Córdoba dropped the Mezquita (Mosque) part of the building’s name and began to simply call it the “Catedral de Córdoba” in what was seen by many as an attempt to hide its Islamic origins. In 2013, an online petition garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures protesting the omission. Finally, in April of 2016, a resolution of the dispute between the local authorities, the regional government of Andalusia and the Catholic Church was reached and the building is now referred to as the Mosque-Cathedral Monument Complex or Conjunto Monumental Mezquita-Catedral.

We started out this post by writing about the hopeful allegory of two major religions, Islam and Christianity, coexisting in one shared space. In medieval times Muslims, Jews and Christians lived side-by-side and perhaps the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba might be seen again as a symbol of religious tolerance, diversity and multi-culturalism. We can only be optimistic …

Anita, you just read and made a comment on our Toledo post, and specifically you liked the Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca. You made a comparison to the Mezquita in Cordoba, and I agree. I will probably be doing a post on the Synagogue and would like to make that comparison as well, but unfortunately, I don’t have any of our photos from our trip to Cordoba (We lost an entire year of photos in a computer change-over!) , and wondered if you would mind if I used one of your excellent photos? Of course I would credit you and Richard as well as link to your post. If you agree, just pick whichever one you think is best and email it to gallivance@gmail.com. Thanks much. ~James

Sending photos and a note along, James and we look forward to seeing your post. I loved seeing your photos of the Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca and the “white version” of the arches compared to the very striking red and white stripes of the Mosque-Cathedral. Madrid, Leon and Toledo are at the top of the list for our next visit to Spain!

We’re so glad you enjoyed our photos and thank you for taking the time to comment. The Mosque-Cathedral is definitely a bucket-list destination and well worth a visit. Here’s hoping you have a chance to see this amazing place for yourself in the near future.

Anita, we visited Cordoba a few years ago, and the Mezquita instantly became one of my favorite buildings in the world. As always, your photos are wonderful and they re-create perfectly the feel of the building. The religious restriction on representing human and animal forms has forced Islamic architects to be creative, and this mosque is a wonderful example. It always pleases me when a change in religion generates a combination of architectural styles instead of a tear-down and rebuild. The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul is another excellent example. BTW, thanks for the detailed history. ~James

We’re so glad you enjoyed the history James as the research is one of our favorite parts about actually writing the post. A lot of times (in the immortal words of Bob Seger) we have a hard time deciding what to “leave in and what to leave out.” By now, we’ve seen many examples of Moorish Architecture and we love the geometric designs and motifs as well as the carved stucco and other building materials that are found throughout. What we find particularly compelling, especially going through our pictures a couple of months after our visit, is the contrast in styles and visions of each religion and how the effect was almost synergistic. This makes the visit to the Mosque-Cathedral totally amazing as you spend your time trying to absorb as much detail as you can. We have yet to see the Hagia Sofia (still a high priority on our bucket list and Turkey isn’t that far from Portugal) but we’d have to agree that the Mezquita is at the top of our list of favorite buildings as well. Absolutely awe inspiring!

I absolutely loved the history lesson you provided along with those stunning photos Anita. Terry and I are leaning towards a visit to Spain and Portugal next year. I will keep you posted. Would love to meet the two of you.

So glad you liked the history recap, LuAnn and thanks so much for your photo compliments. Please be sure to keep us in the loop as to your travel plans – we’d love to meet you also. I have a feeling we have much in common and won’t have any problems coming up with topics of conversation! 🙂

We agree with you Caroline, that the Mosque-Cathedral is magnificent. And thanks for your compliment on the history lesson. One of the hardest things about writing this post was distilling all the interesting information that we read (so many rabbit holes to fall into 😀) and boiling it down to a few paragraphs!

The architecture and art during the Moor’s time in the Iberian Peninsula can be found in so many villages and cities in both Spain and Portugal. Traveling through these countries is an endless discovery of the skills, craftsmanship and artistry that the Moors brought with them as well as their culture. Fascinating and fun, Doreen!

This is awesome! When I saw your last post about Cordoba and did some investigating and came across this lovely space, but I couldn’t find any pictures that gave a proper idea of the inside. I was also reading about how both religions worshiped there simultaneously for a little while, but the church won’t let that happen now… which is definitely a shame.

The Mosque-Cathedral is one of the most beautiful and amazing places that we’ve visited and going through the mountain of photos we took of our visit reminded us of all the details that can be overlooked while you’re there. It’s simply magnificent. And we agree, it would be a wonderful gesture of tolerance if both religions were able to practice their religions in the shared space.

One of the strangest and most monumental places I’ve been in. I didn’t realise there was a cathedral inside it (I’m one of those people who don’t do as much research as they should before visiting places) and I was bowled over when I came to that cathedral. Nothing like it that I know of.

Thanks Ralph for stopping by our blog and taking the time to comment. I think, regardless of how much research you’d put in before a visit, that the Mosque-Cathedral is a place that can still “bowl” you over. We’d seen pictures of it and heard friends describe it but our actual visit there still resulted in a tremble-at-the-knees kind of experience. Totally unique and awe-inspiring!

I’ve never been to Cordoba but your photos certainly took me there immediately. Very impressive! I love all the detail shoots you’ve included it’s just like an DK Eyewitness guide book. Would love to visit!

Thank you, Sue. I think you’d love Córdoba, especially since it’s a foodie destination with great dishes and wines as well as beautiful places to visit. The city is charming, picturesque and steeped in centuries of culture and history. It might just be a place to put on your future travels list!

Fantastic photos! And we agree with you, it is the most splendid religious building we have ever seen (and we also visited the Vatican last year).
About Christians and Muslims co-existing in the space: a few years back Muslims asked if they could pray there. Authorities said no. In 2010 a group of Muslims from Austria visited and rolled out their mats and started praying. There was a violent altercation in which a couple of security guards were hurt. It seems the whole thing was premeditated. More on that here: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3589/cordoba-cathedral-muslim-prayer

Yes, you would think an arrangement could be made but in these times I don’t think there is much respect or tolerance on either side of the religious line. Isn’t religion great?

So glad you liked the photos, Frank and that, even after seeing the Vatican, you guys, too are still wowed by the Mosque-Cathedral. When we were researching the background for this post we ran across the article you included (BTW thanks for the link) and have to agree that the idea of worshiping in a shared space seems pretty impossible. The “spirit of Al-Andalus” when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in harmony sadly isn’t likely to happen anytime soon … 😦

Wouldn’t that be awesome, Donna but, even though the diocese of Córdoba agreed to acknowledge the Islamic history of the building and include Mosque in the building’s name again, it will be a while before both faiths worship in the same building. However, we’re still very lucky that this amazing building was preserved for the most part so that we could all enjoy and learn about its history centuries later.

So glad you enjoyed the photos, Jane. Aren’t digital cameras great? We both remember all the money we used to waste on film and the great disappointment when our pictures would come back. There were areas in the building that were much darker but the lighting seemed to be pretty good during our mid-morning visit. In fact, the sun was streaming through many of the upper windows and made some areas difficult to photograph. The Mosque-Cathedral is definitely a memorable place!

Thanks so much Carole. The Mosque-Cathedral is really an amateur photographer’s delight because everywhere you look there is something amazing to take a picture of. It’s too bad you missed Córdoba on your previous trip but we well know how difficult it is to choose between so many amazing destinations. Luckily, reading lots of travel blogs can give us both a taste of some of the many fascinating places!

A very timely post my friend. This is a place that we must see when we return to Europe/Spain. That pipe organ is absolutely stunning, I have such a fascination for them. And, I am fascinated with churches, cathedrals, etc in general, not for the religious aspect (that’s another story) but instead we find them full of lessons in architecture, art, symbolism, sociology, and so much more. Talk about learning through travel!

I thought about you and Abi while we were researching and writing this post and the fact that it relates to the times is sad, indeed. We hear you and have to agree with your fascination about visiting churches, cathedrals, mosques and temples because so often the best architecture and art of an era is represented in these religious monuments with the culture and history making it even more intriguing. And, hang on Patti, there are two pipe organs in the Mosque-Cathedral for you to see when you visit Spain next! 🙂

Another knock out post! Those photos are spectacular and made for a great tour. We’ve not made it there and you’ve certainly got me thinking it is time to start focusing on some European destinations in 2017!

You have us thinking the same, Jackie whenever you post about your stone house in Greece. If the visa gods smile upon you, you won’t have to do the “Schengen shuffle” when you come to Europe next which will definitely give you more time to explore. Maybe we’ll have to think of a house swap or, at the very least, meet in the middle somewhere new!

Such a well-written post again. We were in Sevilla in 2015 and missed going to Cordoba. This is really a must-see! But it is 3.5 hours from Albufeira where we will be when we go to Portugal. Hope to convince my husband to make this drive! Thanks for this post.

Thank you Carol! It’s a lot of fun for us to relive/write about our travels and we’ve said before that we think we’re better travelers knowing that we’ll be writing about our trip later. You should really think about making the trip to Córdoba when you come to Albufeira. It’s an easy drive but maybe even easier by bus to Seville and then by bus or train to Córdoba because we’ve found the hardest part might be finding a place to park. The historical area of Córdoba is compact and just a short walk to get to all of the must-see places.

All of those descriptions are perfect Johanna. What makes the Mosque-Cathedral so interesting is that the Catholic Church also recognized what a unique place the mosque was and choose to keep so much of it by inserting the Cathedral in the middle rather than destroying the mosque altogether and building over it. Lucky for us, we have the best of both religion’s architecture in one space.

When I visited Spain over 10 years ago, I swear I visited Cordoba, but I guess not after reading your post. I definitely would not have missed the Mosque-Cathedral! It reminds me so much of the one in Casablanca. Enormous. Gorgeous.

Looks like you might be thinking “time to take another trip to Spain, Jan!” We spent a few days in Casablanca last February and visited the Hassan II Mosque which really is lovely, ornate and massive with an impressive display of artistry. Until you’d mentioned it, we hadn’t thought to compare the two mosques. I think what I loved most about the Mosque-Cathedral were the repetitive red and white double arches and the sheer audacity of plunking a wedding cake cathedral right in the middle. Plenty of eye-candy no matter where we looked!

It really is the most impressive religious site we’ve seen so far although we have yet to see Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque. The art, architecture and history made this one of our favorite places to write about and the recent controversy over the name made it all the more interesting.

A beautifully written, instructive post. You and your gorgeous photography sharpened the memories I have of our visit to the Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba three years ago. I, too, hope that someday all religions can live together and in peace.

Seems like we should be singing “Imagine,” doesn’t it? 🙂 Thanks Pamela, for your kind words and I’m glad we reminded you of your visit which sounds like it made as big an impression on you as it did on us.The Mosque-Cathedral is a photographer’s dream and even amateurs like us can find some beautiful shots. We love to find places like this that have such fascinating stories and unfortunately, some very relevant lessons as well.

We visited Córdoba at the end of 2015. While the architecture of the Mezquita-Catedral is as wonderful as you describe, the history filled me with despair about how it seems to be constantly repeating itself. The brief period of religious “tolerance” that allowed Muslims and Jews to coexist was ended by the arrival of violent, strict, fundamentalist Muslims—sound familiar?

Too familiar Suzanne. And the fundamentalist Muslims were forced out by the reconquista which ushered in the Spanish Inquisition against both Jews and Muslims for a few hundred years which … A cycle that repeats itself with peace and tolerance followed by a backlash of hatred and bigotry. No need to guess which cycle we’re in the midst of. 😦

Thank you for your lovely comment. We’re both history (and fast becoming political) geeks and find that it gives an important context to each place we visit. Unfortunately, with the things happening around the world as well as the recent display of religious intolerance by the current US administration, it’s easy to find connections between past and present. Hatred of “the other” in the guise of religion is especially deplorable.

Thanks John and Susan. The Mosque-Cathedral is a place where you alternate between just wanting to gaze around and absorb the beauty and take pictures from every angle to remember it. Definitely in the awe-inspiring category!

Isn’t it just spectacular? Awesome doesn’t even describe it. We absolutely loved our visit there. So much history and l totally loved the part of the multi religion usage of the place in the olden days. It shows indeed that we can all get along. At home, at least in the South of Nigeria, this is still the case. Christians and Muslims side by side. I wish l could say l had hope, but truthfully l do not.We are too hateful and fearful :-(. So glad you guys loved Cordoba.

Still sorry we missed seeing you in Seville but we’ll just have to meet somewhere else near and soon! As for Córdoba, can we just say “WOW?” For such a small city we were surprised over and over and still need to sit down and sum up the highlights. For us, it was one big history fest about religious tolerance versus the Spanish Inquisition resulting from ignorance, hatred of the “other,” fear and opportunistic political maneuvering. Fascinating but disheartening when applied to current events …

Thank you Jim for your kind words and it’s our pleasure to share some of our travels with others who enjoy learning about new places. We love the opportunities that travel gives us to see magnificent sights like the Mosque-Cathedral as well as the fun (for us history geeks anyway) of delving into the history of a place. The symbolism of Islam and Christianity sharing the same space has never been more important and, like you, we have to hope that respecting cultural diversity and religious tolerance can become a priority …

It’s dazzling, Susan and I’m always puzzled when some people talk about being “churched out!” We’re not religious at all but so often the places where people have chosen to worship show a country’s best artists, architects and others with an appreciation for sheer beauty. And the Mosque-Cathedral is, without a doubt, the finest we’ve seen yet.

Stunning building with a mix of styles that work so beautifully. It is heartwarming to see that this showstopper of a religious building is in fact a great example of how different religions can come together and exist side by side. It will be on my list of “must”visit places in the very near future.

A showstopper for sure Gilda and you’re going to love it as well as the whole city of Córdoba. So often the mosques were torn down and the materials recycled into churches and cathedrals and it was extremely fortunate that the church chose instead to convert many of the mosques into churches. Such awesome accomplishments of architectural and artistic genius for us to learn about and enjoy!

Our pleasure, Suzi and we’re happy to share our pictures and thoughts about the Mosque-Cathedral with friends like you who enjoy travel. It never ceases to amaze us how many amazing places there are nearby to explore and delve into the history and we feel exceedingly fortunate to experience some of them!

Thank you Anisio for stopping by our blog and sharing this post with your readers. The history of the Mosque-Cathedral is fascinating and exploring this UNESCO World Heritage Site was an awe-inspiring experience.

Maida, the Mosque-Cathedral was that and so much more. This was one of those times when, although we’d done some superficial reading before our visit, more in-depth reading afterwards was enlightening and made us appreciate this architectural wonder even more. Truly unique.